Tears streamed down Logan face as he held the lifeless body of Rogue in his arms.
“Hank, do something,” Remy begged.
“I am afraid I cannot,” Hank choked. “She’s gone.”
“NO!” Logan roared. “I can heal her.”
“Logan, she asked you not too. She asked to be let go,” Hank reminded him.
“I don’t care,” Logan growled.
“Oui try, she has no control over her powers when she is unconscious,” Remy urged.
“Ja, versuchst du bitte,” Kurt begged.
Logan placed his hand on Rogue’s face, her skin rapidly cooling. Logan held his hand there for nearly a minute without anything happening. He couldn’t feel the painful pull of Rogue’s mutation stealing the life from him.
“Logan she’s gone,” Hank repeated. “Let her go.”
“NO!” Logan roared again.
“Logan, it was Rogue’s wish,” Hank told him gently. “She might not have forgiven you if you would have succeeded.”
“I don’t care. I’d rather have her alive and hating me than dead and....” he trailed off as he felt the first pull of Rogue’s mutation.
Logan felt his face slice open and the wound on his shoulder burst open. His heart contracted and he felt pain race through his body. His head felt light and his vision blurred.
Hank watched in fascination as color returned to Rogue’s face and the bullet wound on her chest healed itself. He saw her chest rise and fall as she took a few ragged breaths before they evened out.
Seeing Logan falter, Remy dragged him back while Kurt yanked Rogue out of his arms.
After Remy laid Logan flat on the ground, he moved back to let Hank look at him.
“He okay, mon ami?” he asked.
“He will be,” Hank replied. “If we get him back to the mansion he will be fine. I can dress Logan’s wounds properly at the mansion and he should be fine until his healing factor kicks in.”
“Vhat about Rogue?” Kurt asked from behind Hank where he held his unconscious sister.
“She should be fine Kurt,” Hank reassured him. “The bullet wound has healed. I would like to do some test back at the mansion to make sure she is fully healed, but I do not see any compactions with her recovery.”
“’Cept them,” Remy remarked as the rest of the X-Men approached them.
“Oh my god,” Jean cried as she saw the unmoving form of Logan. Racing over, she knelt down beside him. “What has she done to him?” she asked, looking at Rogue still held in Kurt’s arms with disgust.
“She didn’t do anything,” Remy informed her. “Logan did it himself.”
Jean glared at Remy as she ran her hands over Logan’s chest. “We should get him back to the mansion,” she said. “Scott do we have any restraints in the Blackbird?”
“I think so,” Scott answered. “Do you think they will be necessary?” he asked, looking at the unconscious Logan.
Jean rolled her eyes at him. “They’re not for Logan,” she replied stroking Logan’s hair. “They’re to restrain her,” she spat.
“You will do no such thing,” Hank told her firmly.
“Hank, really, she is a murderer,” Jean said. “She’s dangerous.”
“She is my patient and I refuse to let you chain her up like some kind of animal,” Hank replied, refusing to budge an inch on the matter.
“Scott,” Jean said, turning to the team leader.
Scott shook his head at the situation. “Let’s get them both on the Blackbird,” he ordered. “Then the Professor can decide what to do with Rogue.”
“Fine,” Jean huffed as she stood up. “I’ll take Logan back to the Blackbird.”
“You gonna heft that four-hundred plus metal skeleton of his, chere?” Remy asked.
“I’ll use my telekinesis,” Jean told him smugly.
“And jog any number of his injures,” Hank stated.
“Logan needs someone to look after him and I am a doctor,” Jean said, tired of having to defend herself.
“And ya are more than willing to play doctor with Logan,” Jubilee said popping her gum.
“Kurt, can you teleport Logan to the Blackbird?” Ro asked, taking control of the situation.
“WHAT!” Jean screeched. “I am perfectly capable of taking care of transporting him.”
“I know you are Jean,” Ro acquiesced. “But Kurt can move him without jogging him and he can do it quickly.”
Kurt looked at Logan and then back at Rogue still in his arms, reluctant to let her go.
“It is alright Kurt,” Hank assured him. “I will personally take care of Rogue and I will make sure she is safe.”
Hank carefully took Rogue out of Kurt’s arms. After making sure she was okay, Kurt walked over to Logan. He wrapped his arms around him and teleported him to the Blackbird while the rest of the X-Men followed on foot.
*~*~*
The Blackbird arrived back at the mansion a short time later. Professor Xavier met them in the hanger after they had landed.
He watched as they walked off the jet, Jean huffing over the fact that Kurt had teleported Logan directly to the med lab.
He watched in shock as Hank carried Rogue's unconscious body down the steps, her clothes soak with blood and by the look of her, he guessed some of it was hers.
Scott was the last one of the jet, seeing the Professor he walked to him.
“Sir,” he greeted.
“How did the mission go?” Xavier asked.
Scott gave him a grim smile in answer, not saying anything.
“I see,” Xavier said. “We will debrief in an hour. Get something to eat and a shower, Scott.”
*~*~*
Hank arrived at the med lab shortly after Jean to the sound of her arguing with Kurt.
“This is ridiculous Kurt,” Jean huffed. “I am a doctor, I am trying to do my job, and you are in the way.”
“Problems?” Hank asked as he walked through the door still carrying Rogue. He placed her on one of the beds.
“Kurt is refusing to leave and he is getting in my way,” Jean answered.
“I just want to know if Logan and Rogue are going to be okay,” Kurt said in broken English.
“They are both going to be fine Kurt, I promise you,” Hank told him.
“Then why is Rogue still unconscious?” he asked.
“She is exhausted Kurt. Her body is simply replenishing the energy it spent,” Hank informed him.
“Yeah, killing does that to a body,” Jean whispered under her breath.
Hank ignored what Jean said. Instead, he said to Kurt, “As soon as her body has replenished itself, she should wake up. I suggest you go and get something to eat and take a shower.”
“Nein, I’m fine.”
“Kurt,” Hank said firmly, “you are covered in blood.”
Kurt looked down at himself. He saw his sister’s blood covering him and suddenly felt sick. He looked up at Hank.
“I will stay with her,” Hank told him before Kurt had a chance to say anything.
“Danke,” Kurt said before teleporting out of the med lab.
“The sooner she’s gone, the better,” Jean said.
Hank ignored Jean, instead focusing his attention on Rogue. Removing her blood-soaked clothes, he placed them in a plastic bag he had taken from a nearby locker.
He filled a bowl up with warm water and began cleaning the blood of her body. Once the blood was cleared, he was pleased to see that there was no sign of bruising anywhere on her face or body.
After running a series of tests, he was happy to note that there was no sign of any lasting damage from the injures she had sustained. Rogue seemed to be in perfect health.
Scott had come into the med lab while Hank was cleaning Rogue and had informed both Hank and Jean that the debriefing meeting with the Professor was in just under an hour.
Nearly an hour later, Hank and Jean were involved in a rather intense argument.
“I do not care what you say Jean, you are not strapping Rogue to the bed,” Hank told her.
“Oh really, Hank? She has tried to kill numerous people in the mansion. You can’t really think it’s alright to leave her alone,” Jean replied.
“Rogue only tried to kill Logan and by the evidence of things, he has seemed to forgiven her,” Hank countered and saw Jean bristle at the reference to Logan and Rogue’s relationship. “Furthermore, she is still unconscious and probably will be for the rest of the night.”
“We’ll see what Charles thinks,” Jean huffed as she stormed out of the med lab.
*~*~*
The X-Men sat in Professor Xavier’s office waiting for the debriefing to begin. Xavier sat behind his desk and observed his team. Tension was radiating off them. He looked at Scott and started the debrief.
“Scott, what happened?” he asked.
“We arrived at the location and after I landed the Blackbird, we disembarked the jet and went looking for Logan and Rogue. I heard the sound of gunfire a short distance from where I landed. I saw a soldier pointing his gun at Logan and shoot him. He aimed again but before he had a chance to fire I used my mutation to knock him out,” Scott explained.
The others added to Scott’s report, informing Professor Xavier of their part in the battle with the soldiers.
“What happened to Logan and Rogue?” Xavier asked.
“It’s obvious is it?” Jean said, jumping in to the conversation. “She used her mutation on him again, probably trying to kill him.”
“Nein,” Kurt yelled.
“That is not what happened,” Hank interjected.
“No, mon ami,” Remy agreeing. “Logan touched her himself.”
“Oh really, you really expect us to believe that?” Jean asked.
“It is what happened,” Hank stated.
“You witnessed it?” Xavier asked.
“Kurt, Remy, and I witnessed it,” Hank informed the Professor.
“Jean didn’t turn up til after,” Remy added.
Xavier looked at his arguing team. “Tell me what happened,” he held his hand up forestalling any argument Jean had, “from the beginning.”
“I saw Rogue across the woods from where I was, I teleported over to her. She asked me what I was doing there. I told her I wanted to see her. She said it was dangerous, she was dangerous. I told her she was meine schwester,” Kurt said beaming when he got to the point when he told her she was his sister, making some of the others smile at the look of happiness on his face at the mention of his sister. “Rogue suggested that we get out of there, then the next thing I know Rogue is screaming my name and pushing me out of the way.”
“Aha, there I told you! She struck her own brother. She doesn’t care about anyone but herself,” Jean declared triumphantly.
“Then what happened Kurt?” Xavier asked.
“Sie wurde geschossen,” he choked.
“She pushed you out of the way?” Ro asked.
“Ja,” Kurt answered.
“What happened after that?” Xavier asked, shocked that Rogue put herself in danger to protect Kurt.
“I heard Kurt shouting my name,” Hank took over. “I found Kurt and Logan beside the wounded Rogue. She was in a bad way and I am afraid I was unable to help her; the bullet had punctured her lung. Logan wanted to heal her, but Rogue refused.”
“She refused?” Scott asked.
“Yes. She said it was her time and asked to be let go,” Hank recalled.
“Logan begged her to let him heal her, but she still refused. She took a few ragged breathes, said...goodbye to Logan,” Hank said refusing to reveal the last thing Rogue said. “Then she took her last breath and died.”
“If she died then how is she alive in the med lab now?” Scott asked.
“After...”Hank coughed to clear his throat. “Logan refused to let her go and touched her. I reminded him of Rogue’s wishes to be let go, but he did not care, stating, “I rather have her alive and hating me, then dead and...” at which point Rogue mutation kicked in and began draining Logan, effectively healing herself. Remy and Kurt pulled them apart the moment Rogue was healed enough to survive, at which point the others arrived.”
The Professor’s office was silent as everyone processed what Kurt, Remy and Hank had told them.
“Charles, what are we going to do?” Ro was the first to speak.
“I do not know Ororo,” Charles admitted. “I am in somewhat of a dilemma when it comes to Rogue.”
“What dilemma?” Jean screeched, “She’s a killer. We should turn her over to the authorities.”
“Nien,” Kurt said.
“Turn her over to the authorities on what charges?” Hank asked. “If my recollections of the events are correct, there was no record of Rogue to be found anywhere, no proof that she ever committed any crime.”
“There is what she did here,” Jean countered.
“True,” Hank admitted. “However, I do not believe that Logan will be willing to press charges against her.”
“That’s because she’s brainwashed him somehow,” Jean said clutching at straws.
“I was unaware that Rogue had that ability,” Hank replied dryly.
“Then how else do you explain it?” Jean huffed. “One minute they’re trying to kill each other, the next they’re...”
“Fucking like rabbits,” Remy supplied helpfully.
Jean glared at Remy, “Besides, we don’t need Logan to press charges. The rest of us could do it instead. She attacked us too.”
“While it is true that we all had a altercation with Rogue, Katherine, and the Professor are the only ones she actually attacked. For the rest of us she could claim self-defence as we attacked her first. Granted, we were trying to defend Logan but she was outnumbered and she could argue that it did not take all of us to subdue her. As for her attack on the Professor, how do you suggest we explain the fact that we had her locked-up in a cell for a few days?” Hank asked.
“You should be de Rogue’s lawyer, Hank,” Remy told him.
“I do not believe having Rogue arrested is the answer,” Xavier admitted.
“What? Why not?” Jean demanded.
“Handing a mutant as powerful as she is over to the authorities could be dangerous and that is something I am not willing to do,” Xavier informed them all.
“Then as soon as she is healed, throw her out,” Jean said.
“That is an option,” Xavier admitted. “However, before I decide on anything I wish to talk to both Logan and Rogue. Now, if that is everything, I suggest you all get some rest.”
They all agreed with the Professor and left his office. Hank headed back down to the med lab to check on his patient before calling it a night.
*~*~*
It was early the next morning when Rogue finally began to stir. She blinked her eyes a few times, as she adjusted to the light. Rogue shakily lifted her hand and placed it over her face.
“Ugh, did anyone get the number of the bus that hit meh?” she groaned.
“Good morning Rogue,” Hank greeted as he walked over to her, having heard her wake up.
Rogue lifted her hand off her face and looked at him. “Morning,” she mumbled. She turned her head to the right and saw Logan lying on the bed next to hers. “He touched meh, didn’t he?” she asked but already knew the answer.
“Yes,” was Hank’s one word answer.
“Ah thought he was a little less hostile in mah head, “she said as she tried to sit up. “Is he okay?”
“He will be,” Hank answered.
“Thank you,” Rogue replied, taking Hank by surprise.
“You’re welcome,” he said.
“Ya don’t have ta sound so surprised doc,” Rogue told him smiling. “Ah may not use them often, but ah do have manners. I’m guessing you’re the one that took care of meh, and ah know ya probably only did it cos Kurt asked ya too, but thanks anyway.”
Before Hank had a chance to reply, the med lab doors slid open and Kurt walked through them. Seeing Rogue awake, he raced over to her.
“You’re awake,” he cried. “Wie geht’s?”
“Ich bin fein,” Rogue answered.
Kurt smiled at her when he realised that she had answered him in German. “Hast du hunger? I can get you something to eat. What would you like?”
Rogue smiled. “At the moment, all ah want is some clothes ta put on,” she answered as she tightened her hold on the sheet she had wrapped around her.
Hank handed her a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt he had taken from one of the lockers. “I’m afraid your clothes were unsalvageable. They were torn and covered in blood.”
“It’s okay,” Rogue told him. Taking the clothes, she jumped off the bed and arched an eyebrow at Kurt and Hank.
“Sorry,” Hank said as he and Kurt turned round so Rogue could get dressed.
“Alright,” she called after getting dressed and she had settled back on the bed.
“Hungry?” Kurt asked again.
“Yes Kurt, ah’m hungry,” Rogue laughed.
“What would you like?” he asked.
“Just get whatever there is,” Rogue answered. “And a coffee.” Rogue watched Kurt teleport away.
“I have to go and see Professor Xavier,” Hank said. “He wanted to know when you woke-up.”
Hank left the med lab, leaving Rogue alone with Logan. She hopped off her bed and walked over to Logan’s. Standing beside it, she lifted her hand up and stroked Logan’s hair.
“Ya a stubborn bastard, sugah,” she told him as she placed a kiss on his forehead.
Rogue looked up as Kurt teleported back in the room. He held a small basket filled with food and a flask of coffee in his hand.
Rogue laughed. “Kurt, when ah said just get what there is, I didn’t mean fahr ya ta bring some of everything.”
Kurt placed the small basket on Rogue’s bed. Removing the flask, he poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Rogue.
Rogue took the cup off Kurt and sat down on the bed. She added sugar to the cup and stirred it. She looked through the basket and picked up a muffin. Pulling apiece off, she put it in her mouth and washed it down with a mouthful of coffee.
“Thank you, Kurt.”
The two of them sat together in silence eating breakfast; Rogue kept looking to her right to check on Logan.
“You love him?” Kurt asked her when he caught her looking at Logan.
“Ah don’t want ta,” Rogue answered.
“But you do?” he pressed.
“Ah don’t know, Kurt,” Rogue answered truthfully. “Ah’ve never been in love before, but there is something about Logan that calls ta meh. Ah don’t want ta walk away from him.”
“Then stay,” she heard Logan’s hoarse voice say.
“Logan!” Rogue cried. She jumped off the bed and raced over to him.
“Hey darlin’” he croaked.
“Hey, sugah,” she replied as she took his hand.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Ah’m fine,” she answered. “How are you feeling?”
“Terrific.”
“Are you crazy?” Rogue asked. “Ya could have killed yaself.”
“Wasn’t gonna let you die.”
“Ah was already dead,” Rogue told him.
“Wasn’t gonna let you stay dead,” Logan replied. “Ya made me a promise... in the lab and I’m gonna hold ya to it.”
Rogue remembered the promise that she made Logan in the lab and smiled. “So ya brought meh back cos ah promised ta fuck ya,” she whispered so Kurt couldn’t hear. “And here ah thought ya did it cos ya cared.”
“I do,” he growled as he yanked her forward. Rogue landed sprawled over Logan’s chest. He lifted his hand and tangled it in Rogue’s hair. Logan pulled her head down and smashed his lips to hers.
The sound of a throat clearing by the door got their attention. They broke the kiss and turned their heads towards the doors.
“Hey Chuck,” Logan greeted.
“Logan, I was not aware that you were awake,” Xavier replied.
“He just woke up,” Kurt told him.
“How are you feeling, Logan?” Hank asked as he walked over to the bed Logan was still lying in.
“Never felt better,” he answered as he released his hold on Rogue.
After a quick check up by Hank, Logan was deemed to be in good health and was released from the med-lab.
*~*~*
Logan and Rogue sat in the Professor’s office in shock, after informing Xavier of everything that had happened since Logan had left the mansion to track down Rogue. The set-up on the part of the doctors who had hired Rogue to kill Logan, their attack on the lab where the X-Men had found them, to the events that led to both Rogue and Logan risking their lives and ending up in his med lab.
After listening to everything, Xavier had shocked them by offering Rogue a place at the mansion.
“You’re kidding right?” Rogue asked.
“No, I am not.”
“Ya do remember who ah am don’t ya?” Rogue asked. “Let meh refresh ya memory. Ah’m the chick that has made ya life hell fahr the last few days.”
“I am aware of all that,” Xavier told her.
“Is this one of those, ‘Keep ya friends close, but ya enemies closer’ deals?”
“I will admit that is part of my reasoning for asking you to stay,” Xavier admitted. “In the space of a few short days you managed to do what Magneto and the Brotherhood have been trying to do for years. You brought my X-Men to their knees and nearly destroyed them. I do not want you as my enemy Rogue.”
“So what ya want meh ta join up? Become an X-Men, fight the good fight,” she asked. “Do ya really think the rest of them are gonna agree ta that? They hate meh, and with good reason.”
“I am not fooling myself into believing that it will be plain sailing, but just last night Kurt, Remy and Hank were sitting in this office defending you. Regardless of your decision, you are going to have ties to my X-Men. Your brother is here,” Xavier answered.
“What do you expect meh ta do? Ah’m a thief and a killer. Ah’ve never been anything but that.”
“Maybe this is your chance to be something different. Logan, you have been very quiet. What do you think?”
“It don’t matter,” he answered. “If Rogue stays I stay, if she leaves then I’m leaving with her.”
“What?” Rogue asked.
“You said that you didn’t want to walk away from me. Darlin’, I ain’t letting ya.”
“Ah stick by mah early statement. Ya are a stubborn bastard,” Rogue laughed.
“What’s it gonna be, Rogue? Will you stay or will you go?” Logan asked.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks to CaffineYankee for the beta. Thanks also to Insomniaction_Jackson for the German translations.
I meant to have this chapter to you all sooner, but a trip to the Doctor's made me loose my focus.
I meant to have this chapter to you all sooner, but a trip to the Doctor's made me loose my focus.
Chapter End Notes:
Should she stay, or should she leave?